Answered Question - Disney Parks Moms Panel

My children are 8,7,3, & 2. 3 girls and the youngest being a boy. We are on a budget and would like to know of Must-Do's while there with the kids and any cheaper ways or suggestions?? First time we are going and we are super excited!!

- Asked by Kelli from Louisiana on 1/31/2014

Hi there Kelli,

Visiting The Happiest Place on Earth is going to be a blast! We always have a magical time on a budget.

We pack a cooler from home for our room to keep juice in for breakfast. We also bring our own granola bars to fill up on before we start our magical day in the parks to save a little money. To stay within our budget, we like to make lunch our main meal. Entrees are similar to those on the dinner menu, but the prices are a lot lower. Then for dinner, we order our meals from Counter-service. They have a wide variety of food options in each land like the shrimp salad from the Harbour Galley to the tasty cheeseburgers at Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country. Over at Disney California Adventure Park, our kids love a corn dog from Corn Dog Castle and I love the Mediterranean Greek Salad from the Paradise Garden Grill. We order ice water as much as possible to save on our budget. We celebrate once if possible with a Character Dining meal. Call Disneyland Dining at (714) 781- DINE, to insure your party has a table if this is something you are interested in.

Head over to the Storybook Land Canal Boats or ride Casey Jr. Circus Train; both attractions cover the same magical real estate and are a must-see. Take a flight on Peter Pan's Flight, then head over to "it's a small world" in the far corner of Fantasyland. While dining in Critter Country, take a relaxing ride on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction. Over at Disney California Adventure Park, try to get a Fastpass early to World of Color as this show is high in demand. The Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! is a family favorite of ours, and be sure to ride The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure; we end up riding these two attraction multiple times.

Please let me know if you have any other questions as your vacation approaches. Sending you warm wishes for a lovely family vacation.

Panelists have received/will receive a Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line®, Disneyland® Resort or Disney Vacation Club® vacation for panelist and up to three family members and/or park tickets for their participation on the Disney Parks Moms Panel. The views expressed in the Panel are those of the panelists, who are independent contractors. These views are not intended to reflect the opinions of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Online, its affiliates, its management, its agents or its employees and have not been reviewed or approved by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Online prior to posting.